1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus such as a printer which forms an image on a sheet by means of a laser beam according to an electrophotographic method.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, in an electrophotographic printer, an image data output from a computer of a host system is edited in a bit map memory, and then an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive member by means of a modulated laser beam to be transferred onto a sheet after being developed with toner. The image to be formed can also be input by using an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) other than the method with the host computer. However, the method with the image sensor problematically necessitates an image reader.
For the above reasons, Japanese Patent Laid Open Publication No. 63-16337 discloses a printer which includes an image reading section in the sheet transport path of the printer to read the image of an original that has been transported through the sheet transport path. However, when an original is transported through the path as in the above printer, the original is compelled to pass through the toner image transfer section and image fixing section, which possibly causes blurring or damage of the original due to the toner or the heat of the image fixing section.